The active mind and its take on the goings on of the day.

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BABY P

The case of baby P is another horrid failure of society to protect a vulnerable child.

Today I hear the usual ritual bashing of one group of workers in this sorry case, who are damned if they do and damned if they don’t. There were other agencies who were very much involved, police and medical to name but two.

There is criticism of the social services director, (I suggest it is uninformed criticism) who ordered the independent enquiry into the case in her role as the chair of the child protection committee. It is confirmed, that she took no part in the enquiry other than to ensure the report was submitted. Now the police are being asked to investigate and report. So, tell me, who did the policing work in the first place? In case you are not aware, the Metropolitan police have been and were involved.

Who is going to enquire into the failures of the medical profession who were in a prime position to physically protect this child when he was seen at earlier times with injuries that went unrecorded/unnoticed. This is highly reminiscent of previous cases.

Much of this gamesmanship is depressingly familiar and the scapegoating of the same group surfaces every time, as they are the easiest targets in the scheme of the imperfect structures we have.

Let us not forget there were adults, the carers, who killed this child, who were devious and uncaring. If anyone has experience of devious people, you will know exactly what that adjective in all its enmeshment means.

It seems that way, yet, thank heavens, these are relatively few. They are just so awful when they do occur.

I find the case of the 9 year old girl a horrid one too. Fortunately she is alive, but what abuse has gone on there. Not all abuse is physical. The girl will be traumatised though she is young enough to be helped through a great deal of it. But for her immediate adult carers and their apparent avarice, her sad situation may never have surfaced.

Many cases never see the light of day as the kids are frightened into silence, or other fear of the unknown.

Lord Laming, finally came to the rescue of the worker who was so villified in the Climbie case, the scapegoat for others higher up the ladder, who moved on to other jobs elsewhere. Others in professional roles who also had a responsibility, powers and expertise in particular areas were left relatively unscathed. What that poor woman had to go through to restore her life was also appalling. A so-called caring society did that too. it was so convenient.